This was one of the bottles we had at last night’s gathering.
Colour was bright red. My first impressions (about half an hour after opening the bottle) were that is was rather shy, both aromatically and flavour-wise. All I could really detect was a hint of vanilla, suggestive of oak. I decided to revisit it later.
Later in the evening, I stupidly neglected to take notes on paper. My recollection is that this was a nice quaffable wine that was balanced, simple, and enjoyable. If I was looking for something to drink short/medium term that I’d also happily bring to a party (especially at the case price) then this would be a good choice.
Fast forward to today, and I had the remainder recorked from yesterday. No special preservation techniques. I instantly found that it was more expressive, and I was able to pick out more distinct red fruits (cherry? raspberry?) and some plum. No significant herbaceous, spice, or earth components that I noticed. The finish was a touch on the bitter side, and I again noted the bit of oak influence - nothing heavy, just hints of vanilla. Makes sense given the older cooperage.
I’d expect this to improve for 2-3 years at a minimum, especially given how young it is. But it also seems ready to drink now - surprising given my preferences.

Received a bottle of 2017 Chateau Guthrie at 2:58pm Friday, opened the box and kept it on the kitchen counter overnight. Chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes before opening at 4:15pm Saturday. Pop-n-pour: Long cork, no staining. It is synthetic (#4 plastic, Low-Density Polyethylene.) Strange. Wine is ruby with a bright edge; legs are slow to form and very long lasting. Initial sniff is alcoholic heat with maybe something like cherry. Fruit is muted but the wine is aromatic; what I like to call an ‘earthy-wine-like’ aroma. After a few minutes of swirling a hint of raspberry emerges from the mélange. Mid palate is aggressive. Hot and spicy, well balanced between fruit and earth like daybreak in Dehli. It is on the full side of medium bodied. There is a touch of tannin on the swallow and the finish lingers for 5+ seconds. It tastes very young but pleasant.

The intricate label has many lines and shapes. It has diagrams but few concrete ideas. It communicates the name and the place but lets the wine speak. A quick internet search suggests a Mourvèdre dominated Rhone-style blend for the 2016 version but is mute on this vintage. After some time in the glass, the nose is bramble fruit but still complex. It is more tart and tannic than before and a bit more lean. Medium body now. Very nice ‘apple skin’ flavor on the finish. Fairly complex. My wife noted ripe plums and a woodsy ‘fir tree’ aroma with a ‘crabapple’ note. She found “either ripe cherry or plum” on the palate. She said “It is smooth, though there is a bit of rough tannin on the finish. It’s nice, easily drinkable. Pairs well with food but drinks well on its own. Drinks like a $25 wine” (which is high praise for her; we rarely spend that much.) It was overwhelmed by a main course of pesto grilled chicken. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t there. It actually did go well with a generic garden salad with ranch dressing.

Left the bottle on the counter overnight, uncorked, to see what time and oxygen would do to the wine. I poured a glass Sunday evening and the nose is more certainly raspberry. It is a bit more structured tonight; flavors come individually rather than all at once. There is an acid note followed by fruit, then something ‘fresh’ or maybe vanilla, then a nice long finish. I thought it had a similar profile with more depth than the day before, but my wife found it more fruity and pleasant on day one. She said that by the second day it had more tobacco notes.

We enjoyed a charcuterie plate of aged sheep, goat and cow’s milk cheeses, some fresh and soft-ripened cheeses, smoked salmon, olives and Calabrese salami. I wrote detailed notes on each pairing but the full story of this wine is that none of the pairings were bad, none exceptional. My wife especially liked it with goat cheese. It didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the food and its mere presence enhanced the experience. It performed like the bassline of a particularly groovy tune. It doesn’t demand the focus of your attention but you’d certainly miss it if it were gone.

Overall this is a well-made, young Rhone-style wine that loves food as much as William Howard Taft. Like our judicious president, it doesn’t change character when confronted by a variety of different foods. Unlike our 27th president, however, it can eat as much as it wants and still maintain its six-pack abs. This is probably its greatest attribute. Confident enough to stand alone yet equally unperturbed in the company of exotic spices, robust flavors and delicate aromas. My wife described it as “approachable but not boring, would be good for someone who says they don’t like red wine” (presumably because it’s too dry.) She said “The more I eat the better the wine tastes. Food really mutes the acidic bite.”

Many thanks to Guthrie Family Wines, @WineDavid49, @ArianaWCC and the whole Wine Country Connect gang for giving me the opportunity to taste this wine. I got a kick out of analyzing this bottle. Its sophistication was derived from its simplicity and authenticity; subtlety and nuance. I hope this was helpful in deciding whether to buy this wine.

PS About that “cork”. While I prefer natural cork, I’ve grown accustomed to higher quality metal enclosures (and have been assured by producers that modern liners allow sufficient oxygen transmission to allow the wines to mature.) I was taken aback by this type of synthetic enclosure. It reminded me of a certain Pepperwood Farms Pinot Noir that I had around 2004. It wasn’t good. I’m sure it’s just supercilious snobbery but I was kind of put off by this closure. I’d love to hear from someone with better knowledge than I about the long-term longevity of wines sealed with LDPE closures.

Had this on Saturday as well, but i didn’t look closely at the back of the bottle for any clues about composition or style. With the front label just saying “Red Wine” i didn’t want to try to read too much into anything.

I wouldn’t have pegged as a GSM either. It was light, little bit of alcohol, and smooth. Knowing the ratios now, it’s surprising they were able to keep the Mourvedre in check as much as they did. I can see the claim of a cheap Pinot being thrown in. It was the first thing that jumped into my head, but it wasn’t quite as overwhelmingly cherry like i equate to inexpensively made Pinot.

Overall, it was fun! Totally a bottle that people would drink and enjoy. As it was very fruity, it seemed on the sweeter side of dry which seems to appeal to the wider audience. I had already moved on to other wines when i started to pair with food, but it was very drinkable and enjoyable on its own.

Also had this on Saturday, first of all I agree with Radio that is was a pleasant drink with plenty of fruit not much in the way of tannin or acidity and not complex to me anyways, I didn’t notice any alcohol on the nose or taste. As with Ron I did pickup a hint of funk which could/should have led me to think Mourvedre, but alas I was not thinking just eating drinking and talking with friends

I opened this at 4:30 and it came across as a poorly done Pinot, heavy cherry syrup flavor.
By 7:30 it had opened up some and began to give way to some lighter cherry flavor but still wasn’t drinking well.
I added a cured meat tray and continued to evaluate. The salt and fat brought out a decidedly better palette but that cherry stayed prominent.
The bottle never became something I or my companion enjoyed.

*I am not one to purchase “red wine” or a “table red”

Sampled at the SoCal #54 gathering, along with another upcoming offer and many other bottles 'mates brought…

Quick notes an hour or so after cork pull and slo-ox (no decant) had a slight funk on the nose, not the unpleasant variety. A few minutes in glass and that was replaced with plum fruit and a bit of vanilla. Palate was full on fruit balanced with some tartness, acidity and medium tannins that carried into the finish.
A pleasant enough bottle a cut or two above a quaffer that looks to be a drink-now bottle rather than one to let rest for extended time in the cellar; but I didn’t have the opportunity to do a second/third day sampling.
I would not have pegged this as a GSM blend, actually I didn’t even much think about what this may be, other than it didn’t scream cab, pinot or zin, but it wasn’t the first glass of the evening either.

I bought this vineyard’s Archival Petite Sirah on the other site, and that particular wine hit all my buttons for an enjoyable quaffer. It was enough to put Guthrie on my list to buy to see if more wines from the winery work nicely with my palate, plus I don’t have a GSM blend at the moment. So I’m in for 3.